Po we rPoi nt Pr es en tat io n Ad vic e

Mike Splane –© March 2006

St ru cturi ng Y our Tal k:

Preparing a talk always takes far longer than you anticipate. Start
early !

• Write a clear statement of the problem and its importance.

• Research. Collect material which may relate to the topic.
• Tell a story in a logical sequence.
• Stick to the key concepts. Avoid description of specifics and
unnecessary details.
• If you are making a series of points, organize them from the most to
the least important. The less important points can be skipped if you
run short of time.
• Keep your sentences short, about 10-20 words each is ideal. This
is the way people usually talk.
• Strive for clarity. Are these the best words for making your point?
Are they unambiguous? Are you using unfamiliar jargon or
acronyms?

Prep ari ng Y our Sli de s:

• Presentation Design
o Don’t overload your slides with too much text or data.
o FOCUS. In general, using a few powerful slides is the aim.
o Let the picture or graphic tell the story. Avoid text.
o Type key words in the PowerPoint Notes area listing what to
say when displaying the slide. The notes are printable.
o Number your slides and give them a title.
o Use the “summary slide” feature in slide sorter view to
prepare an Agenda or Table of Contents slide.
o Prepare a company logo slide for your presentation.
o You can add a logo and other graphics to every slide using
the slide master feature.
o Proof read everything, including visuals and numbers.
o Keep “like” topics together
o Strive for similar line lengths for text.
• Visual elements
o A font size of 28 to 34 with a bold font is recommended for
subtitles. The title default size is 44. Use a san serif font for
titles.
o Use clear, simple visuals. Don’t confuse the audience.
o Use contrast: light on dark or dark on light.
o Graphics should make a key concept clearer.
o Place your graphics in a similar location within each screen.
o The drawing toolbar is extremely useful You can:
 Insert clip art
 Insert pictures
 Use Word Art
 Use text boxes
 Insert charts and diagrams
 Insert arrows, banners, and thought balloons.
o To temporarily clear the screen press W or B during the
presentation. Press Enter to resume the presentation.
• Text
o Font size must be large enough to be easily read. Size 28 to
34 with a bold font is recommended.
o It is distracting if you use too wide a variety of fonts.
o Overuse of text is a common mistake.
 Too much text makes the slide unreadable. You may
just as well show a blank slide. Stick to a few key
words.
 If your audience is reading the slides they are not
paying attention to you. If possible, make your point
with graphics instead of text.
 You can use Word Art, or a clip art image of a sign, to
convey text in a more interesting way.
• Numbers
o Numbers are usually confusing to the audience. Use as few as
possible and allow extra time for the audience to do the math.
o Numbers should never be ultra precise:
 “Anticipated Revenues of $660,101.83” looks silly. Are
your numbers that accurate? Just say $660 thousand.
 “The Break Even Point is 1048.17 units. Are you selling
fractions of a unit?
 Don’t show pennies. Cost per unit is about the only time
you would need to show pennies.
 o If you have more than 12-15 numbers on a slide, that’s
probably too many.
o Using only one number per sentence helps the audience
absorb the data.
• Statistics
o Use the same scale for numbers on a slide. Don’t compare
thousands to millions.
o When using sales data, stick to a single market in the
presentation. Worldwide sales, domestic sales, industry sales,
company sales, divisional sales, or sales to a specific market
segment are all different scales. They should not be mixed.
o Cite your source on the same slide as the statistic, using a
smaller size font.
• Charts
o Charts need to be clearly labeled. You can make more
interesting charts by adding elements from the drawing
toolbar.
o Numbers in tables are both hard to see and to understand.
There is usually a better way to present your numerical data
than with columns and rows of numbers. Get creative!
o PowerPoint deletes portions of charts and worksheets that
are imported from Excel, keeping only the leftmost 5.5
inches. Plan ahead.
• Backgrounds
o Backgrounds should never distract from the presentation.
o Using the default white background is hard on the viewer’s
eyes. You can easily add a design style or a color to the
background.
o Backgrounds that are light colored with dark text, or vice
versa, look good. A dark background with white font reduces
glare.
o Colors appear lighter when projected. Pale colors often
appear as white.
o Consistent backgrounds add to a professional appearance.
o For a long presentation, you may want to change background
designs when shifting to a new topic.
• Excitement
o Slides for business presentations should be dull! You don’t
want to distract the audience.
o Sounds and transition effects can be annoying. Use sparingly.
o Animation effects can be interesting when used in moderation.
  Too much animation is distracting.
 Consider using animated clip art
 Consider using custom animation
o You can insert video and audio clips into PowerPoint.
o You can also insert hyperlinks.

Hint s fo r Ef ficie nt Pra ctic e:

• Timing - Practicing Your Presentation,

o Talk through your presentation to see how much time you use
for each slide.
o Set the automatic slide transition to the amount of time you
want to spend discussing each slide.
o Are you using the right amount of time per slide? Decide
which slides or comments need alteration to make your
presentation smoother.
o Change the automatic slide transition settings for individual
slides to fit the amount of time needed for that slide and
practice again. Are you still within the time limit?
o Decide if you want to remove the automatic slide transition
feature before giving the presentation.

• Content
o Make a list of key words/concepts for each slide
o Read through the list before you begin.
o Don't attempt to memorize your text;
o Your words will probably be different each time you practice.
o Think about the ideas, and your words will follow naturally.

De liv er in g Yo ur T al k:

• Pre-Talk Preparation
o Plan to get there a few minutes early to set up and test the
equipment.
o Dress appropriately for your audience.
o Turn off your cell phone.
o Handouts:
 Edward Tufte, the leading expert on visual presentation
techniques, advises speakers to always prepare a
handout when giving a PowerPoint presentation.
 Make about 10% more handouts than you expect to use.
  Distribute handouts at the beginning of your talk.

• Opening:
o Jump right in and get to the point.
o Give your rehearsed opening statement; don't improvise at
the last moment.
o Use the opening to catch the interest and attention of the
audience.
o Briefly state the problem or topic you will be discussing.
o Briefly summarize your main theme for an idea or solution.
• Speaking
o Talk at a natural, moderate rate of speech
o Project your voice.
o Speak clearly and distinctly.
o Repeat critical information.
o Pause briefly to give your audience time to digest the
information on each new slide.
o Don’t read the slides aloud. Your audience can read them far
faster than you can talk.
• Body Language
o Keep your eyes on the audience
o Use natural gestures.
o Don’t turn your back to the audience.
o Don’t hide behind the lectern.
o Avoid looking at your notes. Only use them as reference
points to keep you on track. Talk, don’t read.
• Questions
o Always leave time for a few questions at the end of the talk.
o If you allow questions during the talk, the presentation time
will be about 25% more than the practice time.
o You can jump directly to a slide by typing its number or by
right-clicking during the presentation and choosing from the
slide titles.
o Relax. If you’ve done the research you can easily answer
most questions.
o Some questions are too specific or personal. Politely refuse
to answer.
o If you can’t answer a question, say so. Don’t apologize. “I
don’t have that information. I’ll try to find out for you.”
• Length:
o To end on time, you must PRACTICE!
o When practicing, try to end early. You need to allow time for
audience interruptions and questions.
• Demeanor:
o Show some enthusiasm. Nobody wants to listen to a dull
presentation. On the other hand, don’t overdo it. Nobody talks
and gestures like a maniac in real life. How would you explain
your ideas to a friend?
o Involve your audience. Ask questions, make eye contact, use
humor.
o Don’t get distracted by audience noises or movements.
o You’ll forget a minor point or two. Everybody does.
o If you temporarily lose your train of thought you can gain time
to recover by asking if the audience has any questions.
• Conclusion:
o Close the sale.
o Concisely summarize your key concepts and the main ideas of
your presentation.
o Resist the temptation to add a few last impromptu words.
o End your talk with the summary statement or question you
have prepared. What do you want them to do? What do you
want them to remember?
o Consider alternatives to “Questions?” for your closing slide. A
summary of your key points, a cartoon, a team logo, or a
company logo may be stronger.